At the Intelligent Electric Vehicle Development High-Level Forum (2026) held in Beijing on April 11-12, Zhang Chao, Senior Technical Director for China at Magna Group, delivered a speech.

Zhang Chao stated that global vehicle sales are maintaining a steady growth trend, with projections indicating sales surpassing 100 million units by 2030. The share of new energy vehicles (NEVs) is expected to rise rapidly, exceeding 40% by 2030. In China, the growth in automotive sales is primarily driven by NEVs. It is projected that China's vehicle sales will exceed 30 million units by 2030, with NEVs accounting for nearly 80% of the total.

Discussing traditional silicon-based IGBTs, Zhang Chao highlighted four main shortcomings. First, they have high switching losses, leading to relatively low efficiency in high-frequency operations. Second, their high-temperature resistance capability is limited. Third, their low switching frequency makes it difficult to reduce the size and weight of the system. Fourth, they struggle to support the long-term development of platforms operating above 800V.

He asserted that a comprehensive upgrade to third-generation semiconductors is an inevitable technological path. Semiconductors like SiC (Silicon Carbide) and GaN (Gallium Nitride), leveraging their superior physical properties, will fundamentally resolve these pain points and drive industry innovation.

Regarding key trends for the next 3-5 years, Zhang Chao identified three major developments. First, 800V high-voltage platforms will accelerate their adoption in mainstream vehicle models. Second, the penetration rate of SiC devices across all application scenarios will continue to increase steadily. Third, GaN technology will rapidly scale up and be adopted in vehicle power supply systems.